Spool holder



Jan. 25, 1949. I w Q ADLMAN 2,460,209

SPOOL HOLDER Filed NOV. 15, 1947 Patented Jan. 25,1949

Ui reo STATES empor OFFICE 2,460,269 I SPOOL HOLDER William C. Adlman, New York, N. Y. Application November 15, 1947, Serial No. 786.305

This invention relates to spool holders for braiding machines, o the type in which a weight is used to tension the thread while the thread is unwinding from the spool. y

The invention provides e spool holder for braiders in which the thread is elastically suspended after it leaves the spool, by the use of e long helioel spring which is stretched by the tension of the thread and seeks to return to its initial position, the spring in its operative position being stretched about two times its initial unstretched condition. The spring is connected directly with the thread and. has no weights of any kind, the

i ree floating upper end oi' the spring being entirely free to float in in response to the thread, and the free upper end of the lspring abutting directly against the pewl or detent which engages the ratchet on the upper end of the spool or bobloin, and which pawi releases the bobbin to furnish en additional supply of thread as known, a weighted loop member, however, being provided outside of the spool, through which the thread passes it leaves the spool or bobbin and before it passes through the spring.

By the use of the delicate free floating of the thread as it passes through the spring end, the thread, is not broken, and the speed of the machine may be increased considerably over those machines in which a weight in the bore of the bobbin is used.

The tensions ofthe springs are selected in relation to the thread strength.

The invention will be further described, enibcdirnent shown in thc drawings, and the invention will he nally pointed out in the claims, Y

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a side View of e. spool holder for braiding machines of the known type, with the iinprovement embodied therein, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is e detail sectional View on line `2---2 of `Eig 1.

Fig. 3 is e sectional View of the cap;

Fig, 4 is a perspective View of the improved cap for the spring; and

Fig. 5 is a partial diagrammatical View of the spool holder with the improved spring in its initial position.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawings, the structure-thereiny shown, with the exception of the location and working of the spring, and the weighted loop member are known, Structures of this kind have been in use with a weight in the bore ofthe bobbin, instead of the spring, but such structures 1 Claim. (Cl. 87--22) Vterrier 2 l vi's provided 2 when used with a Vweiilfht have the disedvantage um the threeewas subjected to en pulls and release, which caused the tearing of the threads. r1; is believed .that this alternete pull sind lrelease is` due to the hn-responsive .inertia ci' the Weight.

The improvement consists in providing .alons helically coiled spring, Yroocliored et its lower end and freely movable et its upper `end.ciilspostscl within the hollow shaft of the bobbin. The spilli-E iS provided at its upper end with' en eyelet for the thread, the length oi the spring alone its exis being about 3 inches from end convolution to eed convolution end about 6 inches when in ,operate expended position.. When stretched to the 5 inches, the upper eyelet Aof .the spring is in a.

position to abut against the Dawl vor detent to release it, to permit the bobble to rotate,

The known upright casing I0 has en extension H provided with'an eyelet 1.2 ebove'the eyelet 3 of the upper end or the .spring I5.. The lower end I5 or the spring l5 is permanently seemed tothe casing i6 by a. pin I1 suitably upset at its ends as shown by I8 in Fig. 2. Preferably', the end convolutions I9 of the spring lere bent in respect to the longitudinal axis of the ..spring l5 eswshown in Fig. 2, and pin 'Uris passed throe'gn these-'bent convo'lutions, whereby e me chemical connection between the vvlovs'fei" end I6 of the sp1-ing se and the pin u is provided. 'Such e looped connection `allows for e play between the lower end of the spring andthe pin,

The `end convolutions I9 of the upper end of the spring l5 are bent et right angles .and also disposed in line with the ,longitudinal :exis of che spring m, and the .thread passed .through the opening of these bent convolutions, To ypre- Vide a smooth passage for the threadv .which will not weer, there is provided e lightplalstic covering 2e for these convolutions. Preicrabmelse e covering 2i for the upper .end of `the spring l5 is provided to prevent theoncrators needle, when threading the thread through the bent #up comr lotions, from entering into .the bore ef the shrine l5 end 'become .entangled `with the' eonveliltiene of the spring l5.. Preferably, the cyelet @overleef 2! and barrier 2| .are combined .in one piece and provided with e skirt 22, asshewn in Fie. 4. The with eslot 23 or the seat ing of part of the bent up -eohroliitiime The thread 25 passes through the `yeyelet Zia of. the

plastic covering 1211, es shown Fig. e,

The other structurel portions shown in uthe drawings are well Vknown .to the fart exceptingthe following, andv require no special description,

excepting that the braider 30 has a vertical shaft 3| on which it rotates, and has an upright thread guider 32, with eyelets 33 and 34.

The spool or bobbin 35 shown in dotted lines seats on the spool support 36 which rests on the plate 3'I, and the spool 35 has ratchet teeth 35a at its upper end engageable by a pvoted pawl 38 pivoted at 31, and having an eyelet 39. The thread passes from its windings on the spool through -theopening 433, then through the movable andA somewhatweighted loop 40 and then upwardly through the eyelet opening 34, then downwardly through the eyelet 39, into the bore of the spool and through the end convolution of the spring I5 and then vertically upwards through the eyelets 39 and I2. From there, as known, it passes vertically upwardly in a radial and inclined position to the apparatus for assembling all of the threads to a braid.

In this general type of spool supporting mechanism, it was found that the thread from the point of the eyelet I3 to the braiding apparatus, would wobble, 'clearly visible, due to intermittent releases with alternate pulls, and this wobbling had two distinct disadvantages, the breaking of the threads, and requirement to maintain a relatively low speed of operation.

i The importance in the use of a long helical spring anchored at its lower end and having its upper end entirely free and unweighted, and of suitable length and tension, is that the pull of the threads on the' loose or free end of the spring iirst causes the upper end convolutions to separate and then as the tension of the convolutions exert their forces on the next adjacent convolutions progressively through the length of the spring, which transfer of forces takes some time, with the full forces of the pull at the free end of the spring transposing itself to the anchored end of the spring only after a time interval, the upper end of the spring is very responsive to any pull or release. In the embodiment, the pull expands the spring and the inherent resiliency then tends to bring the spring back to its position it was in before any pull was exerted. This is in contrast to certain springs of the prior art, which are first compressed and then their inherent resiliency expands them. The improved spring I5 and its use has the important advantage of providing a floating support for the thread, varying in vertical location depending on the action oi'the braiding apparatus, the speed of rotation of the spool and the speed of rotation of the revolving table supporting the spools.

This elasticity of action on the thread gives the threads an even draw and at the same time permits the machine to be operated at much higher speeds, thus increasing the braid production.

The unweighted and unimpeded floating action or;` the upper end of the spring satisfies the objective set to assure the free owing movement ofthe thread while the braiding action is being carried out, and after many researches and trials, `1 found this in the principle of a helical sprin'g'of considerable length in relation to the diameter of the convolutions and in the diamet'er lof the wire nally utilized, and in the placing of the spring within the bore of lthe bobbin shaft, and to act directly on the pawl without any levers, enclosures, etc.

vIn Figure 1 is shown a pawl 38 pivoted at 38a to the uprightmember 32. The pawl 38 has an eyelet opening 39 for the passage of the thread 25.- -The pawl 38 is shown in full lines in Fig. 1,

and in this position it locks with the ratchet on the top of the spool or bobbin 35. When the tension of the thread 25 is such as to pull the top of the spring I3 against the pawl 38 at its eyelet 39, the pawl is raised into a position corresponding to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, and the spool is released to permit the unwinding of the thread. As occasion requires, the pawl is raised from its full line to its dotted line position with the end routine of the spring vertically ascending close to the pawl when in a position corresponding to the dotted line position of the pawl. During the operation of the machine there is a continual alternation of the position of the top of the spring I3 from its position shownin Figure 1, with the pawl interlocking as shown by the full line position of the pawl to a position above the full line position of the spring in Fig. 1 to a position corresponding to about the dotted line position of the eyelet 33 of the pawl 38.

In Fig. 1, the pawl is only shown in the position where it interiocks with the ratchet of the spool, the ratchet and spool'not being shown in Fig. 5. The spring as shown in Fig. 5, is in its normal untensioned position. The spring as shown in Fig. 1, is shown in its tensioned position, wherein its length is about twice the length of the spring shown in Fig. 5, the length of the spring being measured from its end convolutions, which are substantially at right angles to the axis of the spring. It will be noted that the diameter of the spring I5 is substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft I0 of the spool holder so that the upper end of the spring or the enclosing member I3 is co-centrally related to the walls of the shaft ID, in order that the free upper end oi the spring acts at all times in a straight vertical direction as it is being tensioned by the thread 2e. While the cap I3 has been shown as a preferred form, the thread 25 may be passed through the bent up convolutions ISa, as shown in 2, assuming the cap I3 to be omitted. The important feature is to have a free movement oi the thread 25 through the end of the spring so that the upper end of the spring, when tensioned, has a perfect freedom of movement, and thus gives a very quick response to any variation in the tension of the thread 25, as its upper end (not shown) is being braided.

As an example, the length of a coil is 31/4 inches, with a convolution diameter of 3/8 inch and a wire diameter of .020, the wire being of music wire.

As another example, the length of a coil is 3 inches, with a convolution diameter of inch and a Wire diameter of .020 inch, the wire being of music wire.

With the general pull of the braider the spring is stretched about as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, from its normal unstretched position shown in Fig. 5.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modieations will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

In a spool holder for braiding machines having a braiding apparatus, said spool holder having a hollow spool spindle, the combination of a helical spring in said hollow spool spindle having one end secured to the lower end of the spool spindle,

and having its upper end free to move and when the spring is stretched to have its upper end in proximity to the upper end of the spool holder, said stretching being to a length about two times Athe length of the initial length of the spring, the A thread passing through the upper end of the spring and resiliently held thereby when passing from the Vspool to the braiding apparatus, a vertical thread guiding member to guide the thread from the spool to the spring, having an upper thread guide above the spool and above the extended end of the spring, and having a thread guide about centrally the height of the spool, and a pawl having an eyelet and pivoted to the guiding member, said eyelet being immediately above the upper end of the spring for guiding the thread from the guiding member to the spring and from the spring to the braiding apparatus, said guiding member being parallel with the axis of the spool, with a movable weighted loop dis- ;posed between the outgoing side of the central thread guide and the incoming side of the upper thread guide of the guiding lmember, to loop the thread as it passes from its spool and before it engages the spring.

WILLIAM C. ADLMAN N REFERENCES CITED r`Ihe following references are of record in the fue of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

